[Tavilyn]

I'm Canadian, and I'm not sure if Amazon would ship to Canada. I'll have a gander though, thanks.

 

[Tavilyn]

Ouch, complete kick in the face. Four sellers all under a hundred and sixty bucks, and not a one ships to Canada. That hurts.
Guess that puts me back to the drawing-board. EBay or Amazon.ca.

 

[Tavilyn]

It also leaves me with the old 559 vs. 598 conundrum. I haven't had a chance to listen to them both and am likely not going to, so I don't know how much sacrifice is being made, and in what proprrtions, even roughly. If, using really rough estimates here, I was going to lose 30% bass but gain 10% sound clarity with the 598, it might not be worth it, and I might go for the 558. If this thing is way more base-anemic than the DT880s, which themselves aren't bass-heavy, I may have to gtart on a whole different drawing-board. Haha. If it's comparable though, and if I can expect passingly similar sound from HD598s as I got from un unamped 650, my ears are in for a treat. Of course, if all the differences are minute, to the point where you'd probably have to strain to hear them, then all this niggling is probably for naught. Good grief. The more I read these forums the more I realize that you regulars must be constantly and exhaustively inundated with all kinds of humming and hawing from people like me, people with a bit of money to spend and more caution and questions than is sensible.

 

[Tavilyn]

Bump? Still seeking a little perspective from someone who knows the HD558 and HD598, as to how markedly different they are from one another. Also, if any of you knows of an amazon.com seller who would ship to Canada to get me the headphones for less than about $250CAD total; you Americans appear to be able to get this item cheaply but it's not quite so true up here, and I don't really want to go to a brick-and-mortar store and pay nearly three hundred bucks. (Yes, I know the HD558 is cheaper, but as I said, I'll go for the 598 unless the bass presence of the 598 is particularly bad.)

 

[serman005]

  Bump? Still seeking a little perspective from someone who knows the HD558 and HD598, as to how markedly different they are from one another. Also, if any of you knows of an amazon.com seller who would ship to Canada to get me the headphones for less than about $250CAD total; you Americans appear to be able to get this item cheaply but it's not quite so true up here, and I don't really want to go to a brick-and-mortar store and pay nearly three hundred bucks. (Yes, I know the HD558 is cheaper, but as I said, I'll go for the 598 unless the bass presence of the 598 is particularly bad.)

I wouldn't call the bass of the HD598 bad. Is it anemic? That is a subjective thing. To me, no, it is not anemic. The bass is detailed and harmonically rich, to me. It is not, however, a bass monster. Does the bass of the 598 get in the way of my enjoyment of music?--no, it does not. Will it for you? I don't know. That depends on whether you are truly a basshead. If you are, then I would not get the HD598. Even the 558 is not a basshead can. It does not have enough bass for a basshead (like the m-100 or other closed cans with really strong bass have). The question between the 558 and the 598 is a tricky one, as you alluded to when you referenced some of the threads on 558 vs 598. Not everyone agrees on this discussion and the relevant facts. As I've said elsewhere, I feel that the difference in detail, soundstage, mid and treble quality of the 598 is worth the difference in price. I would get the 598 every time--but that is just me. Others (including you) may feel differently.
 
The current deal in the US on the 598 for $147 may not be available in Canada, I don't know. But if it is, that is a very good price. Hard to go wrong with a 598 for a hundred fifty bucks. As I've said before, this can is sufficiently good that I can't imagine anyone who is not a basshead being disappointed in it.

 

[Tavilyn]

When I demo'd the HD800 and HD650 yesterday, I didn't feel they were anemic. They could have had more bass and I would have been okay with it, but I didn't walk away thinking "Eww, this is too thin". The DT880...same thing. Could have more bass, but doesn't actually require it. If the 598 is within shouting distance of the DT880 (hopefully a little stronger bass rather than being a little weaker), that's ideal. I appreciate bass but am not a basshead and am not looking for a basshead can; those just tend to sacrifice other pleasing elements in favour of slamming you. Thanks for the feedback though, I appreciate it.

 

[wolfjeanne]

From what I've heard, the 558 is not a better headphone than the 598 but it will suffice I think and my bet is that to you it would be more enjoyable.

Have you checked the Philips fidelio l2 and X2? They are both open with a slightly coloured sound.

 

[Tavilyn]

Thanks. Someone else pointed me at the x2, in particular, and in so doing inadvertently exposed another newbie flaw. I heard some iffy things about the x1, mostly about build quality, and didn't really give the x2 much thought. From what I'm seeing, it looks like the l2 is more neutral and a bit weaker in the bass (much like the HD650s and DT880s, detailed but not all that punchy) while the x2 has a more coloured sound and a little more thump. Currently I can get the HD598 for about $230 Canadian, but it would cost me nearly twice that for the x2 or L2. I'm going to at least try the 598s, see what I think, and if they don't really work out, x2 is next on my list. Really wish I could try before I buy, but the one headphone shop near me focuses a great deal on Sennheiser, in particular the top two or three in the HD series, and I got a bit of a bad taste from the sales rep I dealt with, who seemed more determined to push a sell than to give me an idea of what they'd have in my preferences based on sound and budget both.